Opener with belt gripping means for screw threaded jars



Sept. 27, 1955 E, OLSON 2,718,800

OPENER WITH BELT GRIPPING MEANS FOR SCREW THREADED JARS Filed March 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l EMIL OLSON INVENTOR.

BY MCI/3.63M

HIS ATTORNEY p 1955 E. OLSON 2,718,300

OPENER WITH BELT GRIPPING MEANS FOR SCREW THREADED JARS Filed March 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EMIL. OLSON INVENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent OPENER BELTGRIPPING MEANS FOR SCREW THREADED JARS Emil Olson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 1954, Serial No'. 414,317

6 Claims. (Cl. 81-3-3) This invention relates to an opener for screw threaded jars or containers particularly of the type which contain foods and are commonly opened in the home.

At the present time, there is no opener which is actually satisfactory in performance for use by the average housewife to open without substantial effort or difii'culty a canning jar, perfume bottle, or other screw threaded container. It is an objectof my invent-ion to provide such an opener which is capable of use by the average housewife to remove the screw threaded top from aim of large size to the smallest made. The word jar as used herein is meant to include screw threaded bottles and containers of every kind and size of body and top.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such an opener which forms a slip-free grip around the top of the jar and which tightens its grip while the top is being loosened.

Another object of my invention is to provide an opener in which the body of the jar can be used to provide leverage and twisting force to facilitate separation of the top from the jar.

Still another object of my invention is to provide such an opener which is economical to manufacture, so that it is capable of being purchased by everyone for use in every home.

It is another object of my invention to provide such an opener which may be mounted on the wall and used as a what-not shelf when not in use as an opener and which swings to and from such position. My opener does not interfere with anyone or anything and has no projecting parts which are unsightly or which can cause injury or damage. My device may easily be swung into position for use at such an angle as is handiestand most effective for use in removing the top of the jar.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a device which may be used by simple modification as a tightener to place the tops on screw threaded jars, bottles or containers using the same principles and construction as are employed in removing such tops.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my opener;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same in horizontal or non-operating position; I

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same in oblique or operating position;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the same in horizontal or non-operating position;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view of the spring mounting assembly, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of a portion of the mounting 2,718,800 Patented Sept. 27, 1955 bracket showing the grooves which are used to control thepositioning of my opener.

A- preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate my invention comprises a bracket 10 having a substantially triangular base portion with openings 11 at the corners thereof for fastening bracket 10 to a wall or other mounting surface. Bracket 10 is provided with a top shelf portion 12, which extends horizontally from the wall. is a spring-loaded plunger 13 having a fixed end pin 14 and a movable end pin 15. The movable end pin 15 is retractable against the pressure of a coil spring 16 which is disposed within plunger 13. This assembly is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

One end of shelf portion 12 is provided with two V-shaped grooves 17 and 18. Groove 17 extends horizontally across the end of shelf portion 12, while groove 18 extends diagonally with respect to the top of shelf portion 12. Grooves 17 and 13 are shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

The opertaing portion of my opener is rotatably mounted on bracket 16 by means of a lug 1-9, which is attached to the bottom of a housing 20. Lug 19 is provided with a pair of downwardly extending parallel arms 21 and 22. Arms 21 and 22 are provided with circular openings which are adapted to receive end pins 14 and 15 of roller 13. Arm 22 of lug 19 is provided with a V-shaped projection 23 which is adapted to fit into V-shaped grooves 17 and 18.

Housing 20 has a circular bottom with a side wall 24 extending upwardly therefrom. A flat head pivot screw 25 extends through the center of the bottom of housing 20. A circular plate 26 is rotatably mounted on pivot screw 25. A rotatable member 27 is attached to circular plate 26 and is disposed within housing 20 except for a flange 23 which is positioned adjacent the top edge of housing 20 and which projects slightly beyond side wall 24 of housing 20. Flange 28 is adapted to be grasped by the fingers and turned to rotate plate 26 and rotatable member 27 on pivot screw 25, while housing 20 remains stationary.

While any suitable materials may be used in the construction of my opener, housing 20 and circular plate 26 may be formed of metal, with sufiicient lubricant between them to facilitate the rotation of circular plate 26 with respect to housing 20. Ball bearings or other suitable means may also be used for this purpose.

Rotatable member 27 has an unusual configuration in transverse cross section, its inner and outer circumference being circular, but with the diameter of the inner circle being smaller and its center offset with respect to that of the outer circle. Rotatable member 27 has an extremely narrow portion 29 at one side and an open space 30 on the opposite side thereof.

One end of rotatable member 27 adjacent open space 30 is arcuate and has positioned adjacent it a roller 31, which is rotatably mounted on the pivot pin 32. Pivot pin 32 is attached at its ends to flange 28 and circular plate 26 and is thus carried by rotatable member 27 as it moves with respect to housing 20. g

A belt 33 is attached at one end to the inside of side wall 24 within housing 20 by a screw 34 and mounting plate 35. The end of belt 33 may also be attached by other suitable fastening means. Belt 33 extends through the space between the inside of side wall 24 and the outside of rotatable member 27 and then loops around roller 31 through open space 30 and around the inside of rotatable member 27. The opposite end of belt 33 extends through open space 30 around the opposite end of rotatable member 27 and is attached to the outside of rotatable member 27 within housing 20 by a screw 36. Other suitable fastening means may also be used.

Mounted within the end of shelf portion 12- A guide member 37 is held at one end by screw 36, while its opposite end forms an arc adjacent roller 31 to guide belt 33 through open space 30 and around roller 31. Belt 33 is sufficiently long to extend around the entire inside of rotatable member 27. Belt 33 may be formed of leather, rubber or any suitable composition material. It should be noted that belt 33 and the means used to fasten its ends must be sufliciently strong to Withstand a considerable amount of strain and pressure when my opener is in use.

In use, bracket may be fastened to the wall by screws or bolts extending through openings 11 in the corners thereof. Bracket 10 is preferably attached to a vertical wall surface. After bracket 10 has been attached, the operating portion of my opener may be moved to either of two fixed positions. In one position, housing 20 is horizontal, with its bottom resting on shelf portion 12 of bracket 10. In this position, projection 23 fits within groove 17. In this position, my opener may be used as a what-not shelf. Housing 20 may be swung downwardly, with projection 23 being forced out of groove 17 and pins 14 and 15 rotating in the openings in arms 21 and 22 until projection 23 fits into groove 18. Housing is moved more than ninety degrees from a horizontal to an oblique position, in which it is best adapted to receive the top of the jar or container.

When housing 20 is in operating position, the top of a jar is inserted into the circular Opening in rotatable member 27, where it is surrounded by belt 33. Flange 28 is turned in a counter clockwise direction to cause rotatable member 27 to turn with respect to housing 20. Since one end of belt 33 is attached to rotatable member 27 and the other end is attached to housing 20, the loop of belt 33 which is disposed within the open center portion of rotatable member 27 becomes smaller as flange 28 is turned.

This is accomplished by using one of the operators hands to hold the jar in position, While the other hand is used to turn flange 28. Flange 28 is turned until belt 33 becomes tightly fastened around the top of the jar. When belt 33 has achieved a grip on the top of the jar,

flange 28 can be released and both hands can then be used to turn the jar.

It should be noted that the turning of the jar serves to increase the pressure exerted by belt 33 on the top of the jar and to tighten the grip of belt 33. It is thus impossible for belt 33 to lose its grip as the top of the jar is being loosened. The effect is the same as if the top of the jar were held in a vice, the grip of which is tightened as the jar is turned to loosen the top. After the top of the jar has been loosened, a slight reverse rotation of flange 28 will loosen the grip of belt 33 on the jar top and continued reverse rotation will expand the loop of belt 33 to its former position.

It should also be noted that no blades, sharp edges, metallic projections or clamps are used and that my opener is completely safe for use by women and children.

If it is desired to use my opener to fasten the tops on screw threaded jars, it is necessary only to reverse the direction of the threading on the top of the jar or reverse the direction of rotation of rotatable member 27 with respect to housing 20. My opener will then apply the same principles and construction to tighten the tops of screw threaded jars instead of loosening them.

It may be observed that my opener is universal in a sense that it can accommodate any size of jar top from the largest which will fit within rotatable member 27 to the smallest jar top made.

Among the advantages of my opener over one using metal jaws or clamps is that my soft belt does not mar the top of the jar in any way. Metal jaws or clamps can either ruin the top for future use, or create dangerous burrs around the edges of the top. An opener which grips the top in only two places is also likely to break the jar, while my opener has the pressure uniformly distributed around the entire periphery of the jar top.

I claim:

1. An opener for loosening the top of screw threaded containers comprising a housing adapted to be attached to a wall surface, said housing having a substantially circular bottom and a side wall extending upwardly therefrom, a member rotatably mounted Within said housing, said rotatable member comprising an are somewhat less than a complete circle with its ends disposed adjacent each other to form a substantially circular opening adapted to receive the top of a container, a belt attached adjacent one end thereof to said housing, said belt extending from said end in a clockwise direction around said opening and between the ends of said rotatable memher to form a loop disposed within said opening, said belt being attached adjacent the other end thereof to said rotatable member, the size of the loop of said belt Within said opening adapted to be diminished upon rotation of said rotatable member in a counter-clockwise direction to take a grip on a container top disposed within said opening, said loop adapted to maintain its grip upon said top during rotation of said container in a counter-clockwise direction.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 and a flange extending from said rotatable member above and beyond said side wall, said flange adapted to be manually moved to turn said rotatable member with respect to said housing to diminish the size of said loop until said belt takes a grip on said container top.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 and a roller rotatably mounted between the ends of said rotatable member, said belt passing around said roller to facilitate tightening and loosening of said loop.

4. An opener for loosening the tops of screw threaded containers comprising a bracket adapted to be attached to a wall, a housing pivotally mounted on said bracket, said housing having a substantially circular bottom and a side wall extending upwardly therefrom, a pivot pin extending through the center of said housing, a member rotatably mounted on said pivot pin, said rotatable member comprising an are only slightly less than a complete circle with its ends disposed adjacent each other to form a substantially circular opening adapted to receive the top of a container, a flange extending from said rotatable member above and beyond said side wall, said flange adapted to be manually rotated to turn said rotatable member within said housing, a roller rotatably mounted with respect to said rotatable member and disposed between the ends of said rotatable member, a belt attached at one end to the inside of the side wall of said housing, said belt extending from said end in a clockwise direc tion around said opening and between the ends of said rotatable member and around said roller to form a loop disposed adjacent the inner walls of said rotatable member surrounding said openings, said belt being attached at its opposite end to said rotatable member, the size of the loop of said belt adapted to be diminished upon manual rotation of said flange in a counter-clockwise direction to take a grip on a container top disposed within said opening, said loop adapted to maintain its grip on said top during rotation of said container in a counter-clockwise direction.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, said bracket having a flat rear portion adapted to be attached to the wall, a flat top portion extending substantially horizontally therefrom, said housing being pivotally attached adjacent the outer end of said top portion, said housing adapted to be pivoted to a horizontal position to rest on the flat top portion of said bracket when said opener is not in use, said bracket having a cutaway portion beneath its top portion to permit said housing to be rotated more than away from said horizontal position for use of said opener.

6. An opener for loosening the tops of screw threaded containers comprising a housing, a member rotatable in maintain its grip on said top during rotation of said container in counter-clockwise direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ekstrand June 27, 1899 Peters Dec. 8, 1908 Martin June 28, 1938 Schlageter July 7, 1953 

